This invention relates generally to removable and disposable chair covers.
Recently, there has been a significant increase in the popularity of removable chair covers. These removable chair covers are generally used for functions and events (e.g., wedding receptions, conventions, holiday gatherings) where it is desirable to have chairs which look clean and uniform. The removable chair covers therefore are able to hide non-uniform or worn chairs from the view of patrons at the function or event. Another advantage of the removable chair cover is that the chair itself is protected from wear and tear.
There are several different types of existing removable chair covers. One type of existing cover is made of a woven fabric that is cut and stitched together so as to fit a standard type of chair. Generally, the cover, when fitted to a chair, is tied down using one of a variety of available tying methods. One problem with woven fabric chair covers is that they are becoming more expensive to manufacture as general costs of materials and manufacture increase. Accordingly, in order for the existing woven fabric removable chair covers to be a profitable item for a rental company or a meeting place such as a hotel ballroom, it is necessary for the removable chair cover to be reused. Reuse requires the added expense of washing (usually dry cleaning), repair, storage and other related costs (e.g., the cost of the post-function pick-up of the covers). Those manufacturing and reuse costs in a relatively competitive market have pushed down the profitability of these types of woven fabric chair covers. Another problem with woven fabric chair covers is that they are typically made to fit only one particular style of chair. This is especially a problem when a single venue has multiple styles or sizes of chairs that all require covering.
Another type of existing chair covers is made of non-woven paper. An example of this type of cover is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/786,724 (Ryan). One problem with this type of chair cover is that many restaurants and reception halls do not allow patrons to decorate with colored paper due to its potential for staining and its potential fire hazard. Another problem with this type of cover is that the paper material may not be waterproof, so spilled drinks may penetrate the cover and damage the chair.
Yet another problem with both types of chair covers described above is that their packaging is inefficient, which leads to a higher cost for the consumer. The cloth type covers described above are often individually packaged which leads to a higher packaging cost. If a consumer needs several hundred chair covers, the increased packaging cost related to purchasing each chair cover individually is extremely significant. The chair cover described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/786,724 is also inefficiently packaged because the decorative member (shown in FIG. 5f and FIG. 5g of that published application) is not packaged with the chair cover. The separate packaging of the decorative member is inefficient and increases the cost to the end consumer.
There is therefore a need for a chair cover that is inexpensive to manufacture, efficiently packaged, and easy to use.